Too many companies operate out of distribution centers and warehouses that are outdated, inefficient or disproportionally scaled to accommodate current business requirements. For fast-growing or high-volume companies, facility and operational constraints during a peak season can immediately impact service levels. Addressing potential issues before they impact your customers is critical to gain or maintain competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Sedlak’s professional advisors are among the world’s most experienced and recognized experts in identifying and implementing opportunities for improvement in distribution operations. Regardless of the size of your business, Sedlak understands that distribution center operations are the backbone of your success. We’ve saved clients as much as 40 percent in distribution operating costs by addressing their material handling processes and inventory management.

Some Common Facility and Operational Improvements

Past distribution center and warehouse optimization assessments have yielded some common recommendations. It’s our pleasure to share them with you:

• Labor management systems (LMS). An LMS can be a smart tool for businesses with the ability to make such an investment. However, even companies without such means can boost labor performance through tactics like developing standard operating procedures.
• Routine training programs. Programs can include refresher sessions for existing employees, basic training for new-hires and cross-training.
• Ergonomics. Employees come in all sizes, and systems are not always designed with operator ease-of-use in mind. Fortunately, ergonomic solutions tend to be relatively inexpensive and can be as simple as adjusting the height of a table, buying new pick carts or re-slotting SKUs to facilitate easier access to fast-movers.
• Slotting. Few companies use efficient slotting techniques, but there are great programs available for constant SKU/location assignment optimization. Even a basic Excel spreadsheet with relevant sales data can yield meaningful results. Just be sure to include the product cube in your analysis and keep it up to date. The facility and distribution operations experts at Sedlak would be happy to help you with a simple slotting initiative.
• Save steps and reduce touches. Can you stock the pick location from receiving? Can a report or process be adjusted to more closely match the needs of the operation? What about interleaving putaway and picking tasks so that employees don’t travel through the warehouse or distribution center with an empty fork, pallet or cart? Often, basic procedural and operational changes can make a big difference.
• Lighting. Employees need good lighting to perform their jobs effectively. Cost-efficient and energy-efficient lighting options for warehouses and distribution centers, including LEDs, are readily available. The potential ROI is often substantial, so there are few excuses for literally keeping your employees in the dark.